Government

County Council: The county council is the
legislative branch of the county government and controls all the
spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are
elected from county districts. The council members serve four year
terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual
budget, and special spending. The council also has limited
authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and
property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes,
and service taxes.[4][5]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of
the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners
are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four
year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior,
serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing
the acts legislated by the council, the collection of revenue, and
managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[4][5]

Court: The county maintains a small claims
court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court
is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the
Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who
is also elected to terms of four years. In some cases, court
decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[5]

County Officials: The county has several other
elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers
serve terms of four years and oversee different parts of the county
government. Members elected to any county government position are
required to declare a party affiliation and be a resident of
the county.[5]

Lake County has long been a Democratic stronghold, giving
majorities to Democrats in every Presidential election
since 1960 except 1972.

Lake is part of Indiana's 1st congressional
district, which is held by Democrat Pete Visclosky.[6] In the
Indiana House of
Representatives, Lake is part of the 1st through 4th, 12th
through 15th and 19th districts. In total nine districts; seven
seats represented by Democrats and two by Republicans. In the State Senate,
Lake is part of the 1st through 4th and 6th districts, which are
held by four Democrats and one Republican.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, the county has a total area of 626 square miles
(1,621 km²), of which 497 square miles (1,287 km²)
is land and 129 square miles (334 km²) (20.65%) is water.
The northern and southern parts of the county are mainly flat,
except for sand ridges in the north. However, the central part of
the county is very rolling and hilly. There are many remnants of
the ancient shorelines of Lake Michigan. Hoosier Prairie, a portion
of what once existed, has been preserved and restored.

As you travel south from the southern shore of Lake Michigan
(the northern end of the county), the land gradually rises in
elevation until the Valparaiso Moraine is reached. This
is the highest area in the county. From there the land descends
into the Kankakee Outwash Plain until the
Kankakee River
is reached.

Commercial
Airport

Major
highways

Interstate 65 in Lake County is called the Casimir Pulaski
Memorial Highway. Interstate 80/94/US 6 is the Frank Borman Expressway from the Illinois
state line east to the Indiana Toll Road interchange in the eastern
portion of the county. Interstate 94 has been referred to as the
Chicago-Detroit Industrial Freeway. US 6 is part of the Grand Army
of the Republic Highway. Broadway (Indiana 53) is also the Carolyn
Mosby Memorial Highway. Indiana 51 is known for its entire length
as the Adam Benjamin Memorial Highway. US 30 is part of the
historic Lincoln Highway. US 12 from Gary eastward is part of Dunes Highway. Cline Avenue (Indiana 912)
from US 12 north and westward is known as the Highway Construction
Workers Memorial Highway.

In 2000, there were 181,633 households out of which 32.80% had
children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living
together, 16.60% had a female householder with no husband present,
and 30.10% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up
of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years
of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the
average family size was 3.19.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.80% under
the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 22.60%
from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The
median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.00
males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,829, and
the median income for a family was $50,131. Males had a median
income of $41,986 versus $26,393 for females. The per capita
income for the county was $19,639. About 9.70% of families and
12.20% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or
over.

Newspapers

The Times is the
largest daily newspaper in Lake County and Northwest Indiana, and
the second largest in the state. Lake County is also served by the
Post-Tribune, a daily newspaper based
in Merrillville.

Indiana
State Quarter

The northwest tip of Lake County is seemingly missing from the
state outline on the Indiana state quarter. The outline of the
state on the quarter shows the Lake Michigan shore line continuing
in a southwest direction from the Porter/Lake County line to the
Illinois-Indiana state line, showing Lake Michigan where Gary and
Hammond are located. Unlike the similar occurrence with Dade
County, Georgia on the Georgia state
quarter, fewer complaints were made concerning the omission.

2008
Presidential Primary

In the 2008 Democratic
presidential primary on May 6, 2008, Lake County was one of the
last counties to report results.[8] Lake
County had reported no results at 11 p.m. ET,[9]
and at midnight ET, only 28% of Lake County's vote had been
reported.[10] A
large number of absentee ballots and a record turnout delayed the
tallies, and polls closed an hour later than much of the state
because Lake County is in the Central Time
Zone.[9]
Early returns showed Senator Barack Obama leading by a potentially
lead-changing margin, leaving the race between Senator Hillary Clinton and Obama "too
close to call" until final tallies were reported.

Rudy Clay, the mayor of Gary, the largest city in Lake County,
predicted the bizarre events, telling CNN, "They are going to point
at Indiana and say Hillary Clinton is leading by one point but Gary
ain't come in yet."[11]

This article requires significantly more historical detail on the particular phases of this location's historical development. The ideal article for a place will give the reader a feel for what it was like to live at that location at the time their relatives were alive there..
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Lake County, Indiana

Map

File:Map of Indiana highlighting Lake County.png
Location in the state of Indiana

According to 2005 Census estimates 58.6% of Lake County's population was non-Hispanic whites, 26.2% African-American, 13.7% Latino and 1.0% Asian.[1] In 2000 there were 181,633 households out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living together, 16.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,829, and the median income for a family was $50,131. Males had a median income of $41,986 versus $26,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,639. About 9.70% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.

Newspapers

The Times is the largest daily newspaper Lake County and Northwest Indiana, and the second largest in the state. Lake County is also served by the Post-Tribune, a daily newspaper based in Merrillville.

Indiana State Quarter

The northwest tip of Lake County is seemingly missing from the state outline on the Indiana state quarter. The outline of the state on the quarter shows the Lake Michigan shore line continuing in a southwest direction from the Porter/Lake County line to the Illinois-Indiana state line, showing Lake Michigan where Gary and Hammond are located. Unlike the similar occurrence with Dade County on the Georgia state quarter, fewer complaints were made concerning the omission.

References

Forstall, Richard L. (editor) (1996). Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990 : from the twenty-one decennial censuses. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. ISBN 0-934213-48-8.

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